Winery Visit - Cline Cellars Sonoma Valley

Over spring break, I got an amazing opportunity to go to California and while we were there, my family and I visited Sonoma Valley.  While there, we went to Cline Cellars, "located 45 minutes north of San Francisco in the Carneros AVA."  They had a tasting room in an adorable farmhouse that used to be a farmhouse in the 1850s.  

Grape plants near the parking lot

Super Pretty!! 

Cline Cellars has a rich history beginning in the 1800s in Oakley, Contra Costa County with Fred Cline.  Fred Cline’s grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi, (yes of the Jacuzzi hot tubs – the Jacuzzi winery was also right across the road from Cline) grew grew up in Oakley, and there is where Fred learned about wine.  He then went to U.C. Davis and got a degree in Agriculture Management and in 1982, Fred founded Cline Cellars near Oakley, California. Here, he preserved and restored many ancient vine sites to their rightful reign as premier California wine lands.

In 1991, Fred and his wife Nancy relocated the winery to the Carneros region of Sonoma County on a historic 350-acre estate with new vineyards and facilities. Here, he brought a new dimension of wine to the region pioneering the planting of classic Rhône varietals such as Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.

Throughout the years, Fred has produced some of northern California’s most distinctive Rhône-style wines and amazing Zinfandels.  He has received many 90+ point ratings from Wine Spectator. Wine & Spirits called his Ancient Vines Mourvèdre “one of the top 100 values,” and in 2011 Robert Parker Jr. wrote in the Wine Advocate, “this is the finest portfolio of value-priced wines from Cline Cellars that I have tasted to date.”

The Tasting Room! 

Upon arrival we went straight to the tasting house and tasted a variety of delicious wines.  We got to taste 5 wines for free and had to pay for the rest.  Below are the five wines that I tasted and the notes that went along with them that I found on the website, they did a great job of noting lots of information about each of their wines so that people purchasing it can know what they are buying for the most part!  The five wines I tasted were:

1. 2009 Cool Climate Chardonnay, $9.60:

Described as aromatic and well-balanced with luscious green apple, pear and a touch of vanilla toast.

Vineyard Notes: The majority of the Chardonnay for this wine comes from our Lazy C Vineyard on Sonoma Coast. The area experiences the cooling effect of the Pacific with ocean breezes and fog most days during the growing season. It is a renowned growing region for Chardonnay where the fruit develops bright acids and big apple-pear character as it ripens slowly over the course of the long, cool growing season.

Production Notes: The 2010 growing season was very cool with the exception of a few hot days. Cool weather toward the end of the season and above average rainfall led us to harvest when the fruit was slightly lower in sugar. The resulting wine is delicate, complex and elegant. After handpicking and de-stemming, the fruit was pumped directly to our tank press where the juice was gently extracted. It was then pumped into a settling tank, cooled to 55°F, then racked (decanted) to the fermenting tank. We added pure wine yeast and kept the fermentation at 55°F to maintain the fresh fruit character. Fifty percent of the wine was fermented four months sur lees in new American oak barrels to bring out a creamy, toasty character, and the rest we kept chilled in stainless tanks. The wine was blended back together, cold stabilized at 28°F, and filtered before bottling.

Food Pairing: This classic, versatile Chardonnay will pair beautifully with a wide variety of light to medium bodied foods, or as a stand-alone aperitif.

Love these trees 

Small Fountain

2. Oakley 2010 fourWHITES, $8.80:

Described as crisp, flavorful, adventurous and affordable.

About this wine: OAKLEY fourWHITES is a blend of grape varietals that includes Palomino, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Bianca and Viognier from our Contra Costa vineyards. Bright citrus and peach flavors make this wine excellent on its own or paired with seafood dishes and salads. Round up your posse, serve slightly chilled and enjoy.

Vineyard Notes:This vintage of Oakley fourWHITES is a crisp and bright blend of Palomino, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Bianca and Viognier from our Contra Costa vineyards.

Production Notes:To create this unique blend, we cold-ferment in stainless steel and block malolactic fermentation. The finished blend went through a light filtration to preserve as much freshness, fruit and varietal characters as possible.

Winemaker Notes: First and foremost, when selecting grapes for the OAKLEY fourWHITES program, we seek good acid balance, intense fruit and the uniqueness that each varietal brings to the blend as a whole. This vintage offers bright, crisp, citrus and peach notes with a fresh, clean finish. This is a great everyday wine - adventurous, affordable and delicious.

Food Pairing: Enjoy the OAKLEY fourWHITES as an aperitif with appetizers such as ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella drizzled with your best extra-virgin olive oil or seafood dishes and citrus salads. Serve slightly chilled.

Grape Plants

3. Cline 2011 Pinot Gris, $10.40:

Described as a wine that is to be enjoyed after a hard day of work or a relaxing day by the pool.

About this wine: Refreshing and approachable, our Pinot Gris has exquisite flavors of peach, pears and apricots with delicate apple. A nice bright acidity and fresh fruit are enhanced by not using oak in the winemaking process.

Vineyard Notes:

Cline’s 2011 Pinot Gris is made from grapes grown in our estate vineyards located in the Sonoma Coast appellation. This is a cool growing location that yields grapes with good intensity and bright acid.

Production Notes:

Grapes were de-stemmed and transferred directly to our tank press where the skins and solids were separated from the juice. The juice was then pumped to a temperature controlled, chilled, stainless-steel tank where it settled for twenty-four hours. The extremely low solids juice was then racked to a fermenting tank, a pure wine yeast was added and the juice fermented at low temperatures to preserve the natural flavors and freshness of the grapes.

Winemaker Notes:

Refreshing and approachable, our Pinot Gris shows exquisite pear flavor blended with delicate apple and peach notes. Bright acidity and fresh fruit are enhanced by not using oak in the winemaking process.

Food Pairing:

Enjoy this wine with light fare such as foie gras, citrus chicken salad, herb-crusted halibut and lobster with tarragon butter.

A little house you can stay at!!

Whole tasting Room

4. Cline Mourvedre Rose $16.80:

Described as pleasant fruit on the nose, plum, pomegranate and cherry dominate, balanced by a delicate hint of sweet anise.

About this wine: This refreshing rosé is made from Mourvèdre grown on our historic Oakley ranch in Contra Costa county. In the wonderful tradition of rosés found in France and Spain, this wine served slightly chilled is perfect on its own, is delightful at a picnic at the beach and marries extremely well with food.

Vineyard Notes: Our 100-year-old vineyards planted in Oakley’s deep sand-soil provides us with this wonderful Mourvèdre Rosé. These very special vineyards benefit from the cooling effects of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers which allows the grapes to hold their bright acidity. The combination of extremely well-drained soil and below average rainfall creates a tonnage-limiting environment that produces grapes with great intensity.

Production Notes: The color in red wine comes from the extraction of pigment from the skins. This takes place during the warm, extended fermentation of the grapes. Our Mourvèdre Rosé is made in the style of a white wine; the skins are removed by pressing before the fermentation begins. What results is the wine picks-up a small amount of color and a little of the astringent tannins. Juice is fermented slowly at cold temperatures to preserve the bright fruit flavors and halted just before the wine is dry.

Winemaker Notes: Mourvèdre is a rare grape in California and we produce four distinct bottlings: two rich, red table wines, a chewy dessert wine and this lovely Rosé with hints of pomegranate, cherry and plum.

Food Pairing:In the wonderful tradition of rosés found in Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, this wine served well-chilled is perfect on its own, is refreshing at a beach picnic and marries extremely well with food such as chicken Provencal, salmon or a Teriyaki dish.

The barrel at the entrance

5. Cline 2010, Marsanne Roussane, $17.60:

Described as Finally, a white wine that red lovers will covet. Aromatic, clean, and richly flavorful

About this wine: A blend of Marsanne (71%) and Roussanne (29%), this wine has (a lot) more structure than a bowl full of jelly. And with its lean, un-oaked style it’s guaranteed to fit down the chimney with ease. Loaded with mouthwatering tropical and honey flavors plus sparkling citrus notes, this food friendly wine is a perfect complement to oysters, sea bass or Ahi tuna. For a seasonal pairing, try it with homemade ginger and butternut squash soup. Yum!

Vineyard Notes: The four acres of Marsanne that contribute to this blend are planted on our estate in Sonoma Carneros (our Carneros vineyard is also situated in the Sonoma Coast AVA). The Roussanne is grown in our Petaluma Gap vineyards also located within the Sonoma Coast AVA. This area is known for its cool and moderate temperatures. The fog intrudes, and lingers until noon on some summer days, providing an ideal growing environment for these exceptional Northern Rhône varietals.

Production Notes: Grapes are handpicked and de-stemmed then pumped directly to our tank press which gently squeezes the juice free of the skins and seeds. From there it is pumped to a settling tank where it is chilled to 55 degrees F then racked the next day. At this point the wine begins its conversion to the brightly flavorful white wine called Cline Marsanne Roussanne.

Winemaker Notes: Marsanne and Roussanne are the Northern Rhone Valley’s two most important white wine grape varieties and are regularly blended together. There are less than 250 combined acres of these grapes in California making them a bit of a rarity.

Food Pairing: Our Marsanne Roussanne can be enjoyed as an elegant aperitif or paired with rosemary chicken, sea bass, rabbit in white wine sauce or raw oysters.

 Beautiful View

Cline offers a variety of other wines that are also listed on their website!

http://www.clinecellars.com/

The grounds of Cline Cellars were extremely beautiful and I had an amazing time!  I cannot wait to go back to California!

 Sunset, gorgeous.

Vineyards

 Sunset in Sonoma

Morada Sangria, $4.95 – 1 Liter, Spain: A traditional Spanish drink made with red wine and citrus extracts. Garnet color and fresh on the palate. Serve well chilled, on its own or with lemonade and slices of fruit like peach, banana or apple.  I LLOVEE Sangria, so I was very excited to taste this yet it was a little disappointing.  It smelled very syrupy and citrusy.  Like all kinds of citrus, it kind of smelled like orange lysol, fruity yet very sweet.  I also smelled hints of lemon and lime.  No red peach, banana, or apple, I could not distinguish them on the nose.  The taste was not awful, but I definitely would not buy it.  The sweetness was kind of stale, not a very good sweet taste.  I was a bit disappointed with the Sangria.  

Cortenova Primitivo, 2010 $7.95, Italy: This Italian wine is a dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. The intense and fragrant bouquet carries a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate, it has a great balance and structure. Excellent with grilled or roasted meats, game and cheeses.  This wine was very interesting.  The color was absolutely beautiful and it smelled a bit like black pepper and raspberry jam.  I felt the body was very heavy and a little too hot for my taste.  It was not very smooth or harmonious like the descriptor said.  I think it would taste different with some food maybe.  However, I did not try this wine with food.  

Canyon Road Pinot Noir 2010, $6.95, California: This Pinot Noir expresses tantalizing flavors of ripe cherry and wild raspberry, and finishes with brown, vanilla spices and a smooth finish.  On the nose, this sine was very ripe smelling.  It smelled very tartish, I could get a little of what smelled like cherry and I kind of smelled a fig newton type smell - like bready/vanilla with fig.  On the palate it was nothing special and I was not very impressed.  It tasted a little fruity with some spice so it was ok.  However, ever since I read that the more money you pay for Pinot Noir the more fruit you can expect on the palate, I have really wanted to try an expensive Pinot Noir, and I felt this one showed the aspect that the inexpensive ones might not be anything too special.  It definitely was not bad, but not wonderful either.  

Oak Vineyards Chardonnay 2010, California, 5.95 – 750mL, $10.95 – 1.5 Liter: This light straw-colored Oak Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay expresses smokey aromatics with nuances of apple and lemon zest that continue onto the palate where they flourish into citrus, orange blossom, and smoked oak flavors until meeting a crisp, medium finish.  On the nose I smelt kind of a burnt smell and a little vanilla.  It tasted very tree fruity kind of like pears and apples and maybe some apricot.  I liked the fruit aspect of this wine when normally I do not really like Chardonnays but I did like this one.  I thought it was very good.  I did not pair it with food.  

Poysdorfer Saurussel Gruner Veltliner 2010, $7.95, Austria: This Austrian wine is described as having crisp lime flavors, along with white pepper and lentils, followed by a mouthful of mineral notes and gooseberry. It has a long lingering finish and is a great accompaniment to any Asian or fresh seafood dishes.  Overall, I really liked this wine.  The nose was fruity and did have kind of a stale beanish smell.  I thought the nose was odd, but I liked the palate.  It was kind of metalish and while I did not try it with food I would like to try it because I believe it would taste great with seafood and I love seafood!  It was definitely very different from previous white wines however.  

Wine Dinner at 622 North

Located off of Main Street in Blacksburg, lies the adorable little restaurant 622 North.  Inside, they not only have wonderful dining, but a full wine bar and a knowledgeable staff.  Therefore, it seems only appropriate that I would take a trip there for Geography of Wine to enjoy a lovely wine dinner. 

 This picture shows the wine bottles inside the wine bar at 622 North.  

My Friends Ian and Katrina at dinner with me!

Menu of wines, it was a really hard choice! 

Upon arrival, we met our waitress Courtney who answered all of our questions about wine.  We were interested as to which wines would pair well with our foods as well as their origins.  I ended up choosing a Washington Riesling called Kung Fu Girl and Katrina picked a California Angeline Chardonnay from Sonoma County. 

The wine bottles of the wine we ordered.  

My Washington Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Here is the description I found online:

The grapes used in Charles Smith's "Kung Fu Girl" Riesling are harvested from a single rocky vineyard, resulting in a wine with lush aromatics and tons of flavor.  On the nose, Kung Fu Girl is bursting with Asian pear, white peach and spring flowers. Apricot, pear, lime, and a pleasant minerality keep this off-dry wine at the perfect level of subtle sweetness.  This is a great wine for a summer picnic.

I thought this wine was absolutely delicious.  On the nose it did have a very "summery" fruit and flower smell.  Including peaches and maybe a little lavender.  It was very smooth and light on the palate.  Not overly sweet and just tasted like summer as a whole.  I tasted apricots and peaches.   

Katrina's California Chardonnay. 

The review I found told how this wine was produced from grapes carefully selected from vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley. These three counties are very similar growing regions with cool daytime temperatures, often accompanied by morning and evening fog due to the coastal influence. These regions with 3 long, steady growing seasons produce grapes with intense berry flavors and rich colors. This Chardonnay is 70% barrel fermented for six months in French and American oak and 30% fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine begins with aromas of toasty oak, vanilla, ripe peach and pear. Rich, ripe tropical fruit flavors are married with the toasty oak and hints of tangy citrus and lime zest. Lush pineapple, lemon, peach,  and melon flavors follow throughout with a foundation of minerality and a spicy character. 

We began with a cheese tray that was the chef’s trio of gourmet cheeses served with bread slices, balsamic honey, and seasonal fruit and nuts. The cheeses included gouda, goat cheese, and a cow's milk cheese.  It was very interesting trying the cheeses with the wine and the flavors were really brought out!  We thought considering how much it is discussed that wine and cheese should be paired together, that it would be fun and adventurous to begin with the cheese tray and it was definitely worth it!

Me with my Riesling and delicious meal!

The meal I got was the Roasted Red Pepper Pasta and it was absolutely delicious. It had fire roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs, fresh mozzarella, and linguine noodles finished with grilled asparagus.  Katrina got the soft shell crab  fresh, jumbo soft shell crabs, tempura fried served with avocado mousse, jalapeno cream, smoked peach salsa, and the starch du jour.  Ian got the New york strip ten ounce grilled choice strip steak with a bold five pepper spice rub, bleu cheese crust and brown sugar, honey and apricot chutney. served with starch and vegetable du jour, but did not have any wine to try with his meal (tsktsk).  

Katrina said that her wine tasted a lot better with her meal because it brought out the sweeter tastes of vanilla and oak and she liked the wine better with her food.  Prior to getting her food she did not love it because she thought the Chardonnay was kind of bitter.  I tasted her wine without food and I liked it as far as Chardonnay's go.  It did not have the buttery taste I was expecting but I could definitely pick up the oaky and orangey tastes.  

For my meal, Courtney recommended that I get the special Sangiovese  they were serving that day or add shrimp to my meal and get the Pinot Grigio.  However, I was not brave enough to try the red, and I was not really in a shellfish mood.  So I ended up getting my favorite wine, the Riesling.  While it was good with the cheese tray and I felt the cheese helped to really express the flavors of the Riesling, it was not that great with my meal.  I should have taken Courtney's advice, however I wanted to order something I knew I would like.  Yet, I felt this experience was extremely interesting because it gave me great insight into the wine pairings with food and how they can go completely wrong.  Previous wine dinners I have had at home the wines went fairly well with the foods I had chosen, so it was interesting to see a wine that did not pair well with a food.  The paste really brought out the acidity of my wine and made it very bitter tasting and rough on the palate.  As a whole however, the wine dinner was excellent and I cannot wait to go back!  

Opera Prima Sweet White, 2010, $5.95: Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The flavor package of tropical fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn’t offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor. I loved this wine. I am definitely a girl that enjoys her sweet, white wines and this one hit the spot. On the nose I smelled mango and pineapple flavors coming through as well as a little lychee or something like that which I found extremely interesting. On the palate it was very much floral, like violets, with some pineapple as well. I really liked this wine and I did not have it with food.

Senda 66 Tempranillo 2008, $8.95, Spain, 90 Points, Robert Parker: “The 2008 Senda 66 spent 8 months in new French oak. Purple/black in color, it sports a fragrant nose of spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and remarkably rich on the palate for its humble price, this lengthy effort will drink nicely over the next 5-6 years.” The first thing I noticed about this wine was the pretty bottle, I thought it was very nice! I also thought the nose was great and I was very intrigued when I read it had been aged in French oak. I am not a very big fan of Tempranillo, but this one I kind of liked! I definitely could smell a woody fragrance and the color was excellent. I tasted a slight berry taste, kind of like raspberries and blueberries - it was kind of sharp and acidic but also a little sweet. I liked this and did not try it with food.

Sierra Cruz Carmenere, 2009, $6.95, Chile: As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family, carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The ’09 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft, medium- bodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak. This wine was definitely very interesting. I did taste a very cabernet-esque taste to it, and I liked it for the most part. It was earthy on the nose and palate, with a little cherry coming through on the nose as well. It tasted ok with a little spice - maybe the black pepper coming through. I did not try this wine with food, but I would like to because I think it would be very interesting!

Lost Vineyards Chardonnay, $3.95, Argentina: This wine is pale gold in color and perfumed with peach, pineapple, and nougat aromas. Round and soft with a fruity-yet-dry medium body. Tangy apple skin and lemon zest notes lift the fruit nicely on the finish. Right off the back, I loved the color of this wine. I thought it was very pretty, and I do love Chardonnay, so I was excited to try it! However, I also remembered the last Lost Vineyards wine I had I did not love, so I was also a little hesitant. Yet, I thought this wine was fairly decent. Not very strong on the nose, hints of peaches and i smelled an almondy smell as well. On the palate it was just ok, nothing super special. It was good and I could definitely taste some fruitiness, but it was a bit sharp at the end.

Sierra Cruz Sauvignon Blanc 2011, $6.95, Chile: This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass. Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts, mushrooms and parmesan. I thought this wine was great. I really liked it. It was soft and fresh smelling on the nose with hints of orange and a little lime. On the palate it tasted a but citrusy as well and I did detect a few herbs. It was very smooth and a little grassy at times. I did not have this wine with food. (I also realize this picture is a 2009 and not a 2011, but I can never seem to make the pictures smaller with the ones provided on the scholar site!)

Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia, $7.95, Italy: This Italian wine is bright, light golden in color. It is very aromatic on the nose with hints of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. It is medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well-balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit. Right off the back, I did notice the color and I thought it was beautiful. The nose was very fresh and fruity. I could smell a little bit of honey and what smelled to me like honeydew and peaches. I am a big fan of Moscato and love the sweetness of them so I really liked this one too. This wine was not overly sweet though which I also appreciated. The palate was smooth and delicious. To me it had hints of orange and pears on the palate. I tried this without food!

Montebuena Rioja Crianza 2007, $6.95, Spain: This wine is 100% Tempranillo and is dark red in color. Spicy red berries and cherry come out on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point. While previous Tempranillo's I have tasted I have not really liked, this one surprised me! On the nose it was spicy and I could smell some pepper coming through. On the palate, it was dry, but it did not bother me as much as I expected it to. It did taste spicy, but not peppery to me. I could taste a little fruitiness but could not distinguish if it was more redcurrant or cherry tasting. (This bottle is a different year than 2007, but the 2007 picture was too large to place as a picture!)